Words fail in face of Haiti’s fate

This week, I was thinking to write a column about why we ought to fill seats at the Shattering the Silence New Music Festival at Acadia.

Honestly, anything I might write pales in comparison with the disaster that hit Haiti January 12.

Canada got in quickly (for a change) and is providing immediate support to the victims of the crisis following the earthquake. Powerless ourselves, we have to depend on our government and NGOs to put emergency services and supplies on the ground.

Sitting at home in front of the TV watching images of the affected children and families in the wake of that devastating earthquake defines impotence. There are parallels to coverage of the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Haiti has faced more than its fair share of catastrophes. This wasn’t the first earthquake, and tropical storms batter the island on a regular basis. There were hurricanes to contend with in 2004 and, again, in 2008.

The full extent of the destruction this time may not become obvious for some weeks. Even minimal repairs will take years, and the long-range impact is incalculable.

Haiti is routinely described as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The country’s abject poverty is the legacy of colonial exploitation and oppression. I’ve been told every concerted attempt to allow Haiti's people to move (in former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's phrase) “from absolute misery to a dignified poverty” has been deliberately blocked by America and its allies.

The United Nations has maintained a significant presence since Aristide’s democratically-elected government was overthrown in 2004. When the earthquake struck, ironically, the U.N. headquarters toppled just like the flimsy slum dwellings.

When disaster hit, Haiti was already in trouble: a country where something like 75 per cent of the population live on less than $2 per day; 56 per cent – some four-and-a-half million people – live on less than $1 per day.

Expert estimates suggest 46 per cent of Haiti’s nearly 10 million people are under 18 years of age. Children need to be front and centre during relief efforts, but every Haitian needs clean water and sanitation, medical supplies, therapeutic food, emergency shelter and protective services.

When I went to my computer to act on my impulse to send cash, I learned of a new network of Canadian NGOs dedicated to a united response in this humanitarian crisis. Members of the Humanitarian Coalition united to speed strong, decisive action. Currently the coalition has four members: CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec and Save the Children Canada. These members share the same goal of helping the most vulnerable and, together, they should be even better equipped to do so. The coalition will serve as a fundraising and coordination body that directly supports its members, and will not operate humanitarian programs of its own. By joining efforts, the coalition will reduce administrative costs and ensure help gets to where it is needed faster than possible before.

Those of us sitting in our comfortable armchairs at home simply want to ensure the right aid gets to those who need it most. Have you contributed yet?